State asked to match Federal East Gippsland Princes Highway funding

The State Government has been asked to match the $25 million Federal Government commitment to upgrade the Princes Highway East.

Speaking in Parliament last night, Gippsland East Nationals MP, Tim Bull, outlined the Federal Coalition’s commitment should it win the Federal election and pushed the State Government to match the promise made by Federal MP, Darren Chester, last week.

“Although I am not sure the Minister has been past Lakes Entrance in his time in the job, but if he did travel this far from Melbourne, he would see the areas that require further upgrades, continuing the work done by the previous Coalition Government,” Mr Bull said.

“In recent years, quite a deal of work has been done on the Princes Highway East, funded by the previous Coalition State Government and Federal Coalition Government.

“This included three overtaking lanes between Orbost and Nowa Nowa after an $11m spend and there were resurfacing works carried out on the approaches to Orbost and Cann River.

“It is important that works on this section on the Princes Highway East continue and that is why it was pleasing to join Federal Member, Darren Chester, last week to announce the $25m Federal funding commitment.

“Clearly one of the areas where works are needed are road shoulders, where presently there are sections that have no sealed shoulders at all.

“It is also likely the Federal Government will announce further road investment projects in the coming week I would hope that should these announcements also eventuate, that they will attract matching funding.

“The $25m commitment that has been announced is on a section of the highway that is the State Government’s responsibility, so I would fully expect the funding be matched and I call on the Minister to confirm this,” Mr Bull told Parliament.

The Minister has one month to formally respond.

Caption: Federal and State MPs Darren Chester and Tim Bull at the announcement of $25m in Federal funds for the Princes Highway East. The State has now been called on to match that allocation.